(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an assembly for holding a disposable bag in an in-wall or other stationary vacuum cleaner, and in particular to a vacuum cleaner bag mounting assembly forming a part of a stationary vacuum cleaner that facilitates attachment and removal of disposable vacuum cleaner bags.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Vacuum cleaners used to remove debris within a house or other building are generally comprised of a flexible hose with a distal inlet end and a proximal outlet end, a vacuum source to draw air through the hose, and a debris collector interposed between the hose and the vacuum source to collect debris carried in the air exiting from the hose outlet end. Vacuum cleaners have historically been of two designs. So-called portable vacuum cleaners are designed to be carried or rolled about the area to be vacuumed, and usually include a bag or canister to enclose an air permeable, disposable bag designed to be removably attached to the outlet end of a conduit that is in communication with a flexible hose or other debris collection device.
Stationary or central vacuum cleaners are generally comprised of a vacuum source and debris collector installed in a remote location within the building, with conduits extending from the remote location to various areas requiring vacuuming. When used, a flexible hose is attached to one of the outlets and the vacuum source to draw air and any collected debris through the flexible hose and conduit. The air is then conveyed through the debris collector for removal of debris before the air is discharged to the exterior.
More recent innovations include the development of in-wall or free standing vacuum cleaners such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,740,581 and 5,740,582 to Harrelson, II, both issued Apr. 21, 1998, assigned to the assignee of this invention, and incorporated herein by reference. These patents describe an in-wall system with a cabinet having one compartment to enclose a vacuum unit and a debris collector, and a hose storage compartment that includes a reversible drive unit for extending and retracting the hose. The upper area of the cabinet includes a door for access to a hose nozzle connected to the distal end of the flexible hose, which has its proximal end connected to the vacuum unit. Another door in the lower part of the cabinet provides access to the debris collector. The cabinet is sized to fit between adjacent wall studs.
When using the device described in the Harrelson, II patents, the user opens the door in the upper part of the cabinet and grasps the hose nozzle, which includes a switch with forward-stop-reverse positions in circuit with the drive unit. The drive unit includes drive rollers that exert pressure on either side of the hose, which extends from its storage compartment between the nip of the drive rollers. When the user moves the switch to the xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d position, the drive rollers turn to feed the hose outwardly from the cabinet until all of the hose has been extended, or until the switch is moved to the xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d position by the user. After vacuuming, the user moves the switch to xe2x80x9creversexe2x80x9d, rotating the rollers in the opposite direction to return the hose to the storage compartment.
The debris collector is comprised of an open-front enclosure with a conduit in communication with the proximal end of the flexible hose extending into the enclosure, The enclosure is also in communication with a vacuum source, which can be within the enclosure, or in communication with the enclosure through a discharge opening in the enclosure wall. A hinged door provides access into the enclosure and forms an airtight seal with the front edges of the enclosure when closed.
The enclosure is sized to receive a disposable vacuum cleaner bag of the type sold for use with portable vacuum cleaners. Generally, these bags are comprised of a bag portion formed of paper or other flexible, air permeable material, and a cover that extends across the bag mouth. The cover includes a conduit opening for receiving the hose conduit. A flexible, annular ring having a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the hose conduit normally surrounds the periphery of the conduit opening to provide a sealing fit with the exterior surface of the hose conduit.
To install a disposable bag, the user opens the door, inserts a bag into the enclosure and pushes bag cover opening around the hose conduit. After the door is closed, the vacuum source can be activated, drawing air from the hose conduit through the bag and out of the enclosure, with any airborne debris being captured in the bag interior. To remove a full bag, the user opens the door and pulls the bag from the hose conduit.
Due to its in-wall placement, the dimensions of the bag enclosure closely approximate the outer dimensions of the flexible bag. In addition, the door providing access into the bag enclosure is often located close to the floor. As a result, placement of the bag can be cumbersome and time consuming. In addition, there is a risk that the bag may not be accurately attached to the conduit, or that the bag may be torn when being removed from the conduit, in either instance resulting in debris spillage. Therefore, a better way to attach and remove the disposable bag would be of great value, and would increase the utility of in-wall and other stationary vacuum cleaners.
The present invention addresses this need by providing an improved vacuum cleaner bag mounting assembly, and an in-wall vacuum cleaner that incorporates this assembly. Generally, the assembly is comprised of an open-front enclosure with a rear wall and opposed side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall, and a bag holder pivotal within the enclosure between open and closed positions. A hose conduit extends into the enclosure through either the top wall or one of the side walls, the wall through which the conduit extends being referred to herein as the enclosure conduit wall. The assembly also includes a hinged door positionable across the front opening of the enclosure.
The bag holder is adapted to support a disposable bag so that pivoting of the bag holder to the closed position inserts the bag opening over the end of the hose conduit. For example, the holder can include an conduit attachment wall with a hose conduit access opening, and means for attaching a disposable bag beneath the conduit attachment wall so that the bag opening is aligned with the conduit access opening. The conduit attachment wall may be a plate with inner and outer surfaces, with a conduit receiving opening extending between the surfaces.
The conduit attachment wall or plate is hinged at its front edge to the front edge of the enclosure conduit wall. Thus, when the bag holder is in the closed position, the bag attachment wall of the bag holder is parallel to the enclosure conduit wall. When the bag is to be removed, or another bag inserted, the bag holder is pivoted to the open position, which moves the bag opens from contact with the hose conduit. After a bag has been positioned onto the bag holder, the holder is pivoted to the closed position, which pushes the bag opening around the hose conduit.
Preferably, the bag holder also includes side walls to prevent a bag carried in the bag holder from scrubbing against the enclosure when being inserted or removed. The holder may also include bottom and rear walls. One or more of these walls may be perforated to provide unobstructed airflow.
The inner faces of the side walls may be separated at a distance slightly greater that the width of the disposable bag that is to be mounted in the holder, and may include opposed slots parallel to, and spaced slightly below, the attachment plate for slidably receiving the side edges of the bag cover. Partial walls are also contemplated by the invention, as are discontinuous slots.
The enclosure door is desirably hinged to the front edge of the enclosure that is on the opposite side from the front edge to which the attachment plate is hinged. For example, the attachment plate may be hinged to the top front edge of the enclosure, with the door being hinged to the bottom front edge of the enclosure. Alternatively, the enclosure conduit wall can form one of the side walls of the enclosure, with the enclosure door being hinged to the front edge of the opposite side wall.
The bag holder can be moved manually between the open and closed positions, by grasping the holder and pulling or pushing, as the case may be. However, in accordance with the present invention, the device can also include a spring to urge the bag holder to the open position, with the enclosure door moving the bag holder to the closed position, and holding the holder in the closed position, when the door is closed.
For example, the bag holder can be designed so that at least a part of the bag holder engages the inner surface of the door when the bag holder is in the closed position and the door is closed. If the hinge is at the front edge of the enclosure, then a part of the lower front edge, e.g., the front lower corners of the side walls, can be vertically beneath the hinge when the bag attachment wall is parallel to the enclosure conduit wall. In this position, the lower front edge of the bag holder will be restrained from outward movement by the closed door, thereby holding the attachment wall parallel to the conduit wall.
When the door is opened, a part of the front edge of the bag holder is allowed to pivot forward, moving the attachment wall away from the conduit wall, and separating the disposable bag from the hose conduit. Outward movement of the lower edge of the bag holder is facilitated by the use of a spring that is attached to the bag older to urge the bag holder in an outward direction. For example, a spring may be positioned between the attachment wall and the conduit wall, with the spring being compressed when the bag holder is moved to the closed position.
For example, the bag holder can be designed so that at least a part of the bag holder engages the inner surface of the door when the bag holder is in the closed position and the door is closed. If the hinge is at the front edge of the enclosure, then a part of the lower front edge, e.g., the front lower corners of the side walls, can be vertically beneath the hinge when the bag attachment wall is parallel to the enclosure conduit wall. In this position, the lower front edge of the bag holder will be restrained from outward movement by the closed door, thereby holding the attachment wall parallel to the conduit wall. When the door is opened, the lower edge of the bag holder is allowed to pivot forward, moving the attachment wall away from the conduit wall, and separating the disposable bag from the hose conduit.
In operation, the user opens the enclosure door, which permits the bag holder to pivot to the open position. A bag is inserted into the bag holder, with the top of the bag being secured along the bag attachment wall. The enclosure door is then closed. As the door is closed, the inner surface of the door contacts a front section, e.g., the front lower edge, of the bag holder, pushing the bag holder to the closed position. As the bag holder is moved to the closed position, the mouth or opening of the bag is pushed around the hose conduit, with the flexible member creating a seal with the outer surface of the conduit. Latching of the door holds the bag holder in the closed position.
When the bag is full, the user simply opens the enclosure door. The bag holder, no longer held in the closed position, is urged to the open position by the spring. As the bag holder moves to the open position, the bag mouth is pulled away from the hose conduit. Thus, when the bag holder is in the open position, the user can simply lift the full bag from the holder without danger of spillage.
As illustrated and described in the Detailed Description of The Invention, the foregoing bag mounting assembly can be used as a component of various stationary vacuum cleaners, such as in-wall vacuum cleaners such as the Harrelson, II in-wall vacuum cleaners, or as part of conventional central vacuum cleaners comprised of connected conduits that extend, normally within building walls, to hose inlet connections positioned at various locations within the building.
For this latter use, the assembly inlet will be in communication with the conduits to draw air through an inlet, and through the conduit into the bag supported within the assembly. An exhaust conduit will also extend from the assembly, normally adjacent the vacuum source, to convey exhaust air from the assembly to an exhaust outlet, which will normally be located on the exterior of the building.